WINNER OF THE 2020 ONPA GENERAL EXCELLENCE AWARD
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2021
HermistonHerald.com
EasternOregonMarketplace.com
Community
Vision Open
House
unveils
Hermiston’s
future
Proposed indoor aquatic center
among the most popular topics
By ERICK PETERSON
Hermiston Herald
A special
Santa
Former Stanfi eld mayor lights Hermiston
Christmas tree despite stage four cancer
Ben Lonergan/Hermiston Herald
Santa Claus, also known as John Perkins, fl ips the switch on the city of Hermiston’s Christmas tree Thursday, Dec. 2, 2021, during a tree lighting
ceremony on Festival Street in downtown Hermiston.
By ERICK PETERSON
Hermiston Herald
Santa Claus beamed as he made his way through the
crowd Thursday, Dec. 2, for Hermiston’s annual Christmas
tree lighting ceremony.
John Perkins, sporting his own white beard and wearing
a traditional red suit, looked the very image of a jolly old
elf. But he struggled to be there.
With the aid of a red-and-white-striped cane, he took the
event stage. Santa fl ipped a switch, the lights on the large
tree in the center of town began to glow, and the crowd
cheered.
Perkins, 70, might not turn those lights on next season.
He has stage four pancreatic cancer.
Fulfi lling Christmas duties
Ben Lonergan/Hermiston Herald
Brandon Artz, Hermiston Parks and Recreation director, accompanies Santa. Santa
Claus, also known as John Perkins, waves to children Thursday, Dec. 2, 2021, as he
arrives at Festival Street for the lighting of Hermiston’s downtown Christmas tree.
After receiving more applause, Father Christmas made
his way to a sleigh near the tree, where a line of families
waited. He welcomed child after child, hearing their Christ-
mas wishes and off ering them candy canes and kind words.
One Hermiston family gave testament to the magnetism
of this Santa. Alberto Munoz and Marina Longoria said this
was the fi rst time their son, Tito, 3, saw Santa in person,
and they liked this one.
“It was great, especially after COVID,” Munoz said.
Like many other people in the crowd, they were enjoying
the normalcy of a regular event. Last year, the annual tree
lighting was broadcast for viewers online, not in person.
Tito, a fan of the cartoon “The Loud House,” told Santa
he hoped to get presents related to the show, his parents
said. After seeing Santa, Tito said he liked Santa and his
white beard.
See Santa, Page A8
Hermiston community members
had another opportunity last week
to learn about the city’s 2040 survey
and give input on the city’s future.
The Community Vision Open
House was Thursday, Dec. 2, in
Grace Baptist Church, downtown,
while the town’s tree-lighting cere-
mony took place.
“This is a community vision, not
just a city staff vision, so we are try-
ing to encourage as much participa-
tion as possible,” Hermiston City
Manager Byron Smith said.
The open house attracted the
attention of people who had not
heard of the project previously,
according to Hermiston offi cials,
and city representatives, includ-
ing city councilors, were present to
explain the Hermiston 2040 survey
results.
According to the survey, people
want more stores, additional restau-
rants, an indoor pool and aquatic
center. City offi cials and members
of the public initially discussed the
results at The Hermiston Vision
Labs, Nov. 16-17. The open house
Dec. 2 was the latest public event
regarding the survey.
City Councilor Roy Barron was
on hand at the open house and he
talked about the survey eff ort and
said there had been a lot of excite-
ment from the public. The item that
attracted the most interest at the open
house, he said, was a possible indoor
sporting facility and aquatic center.
This is something that has long
been a goal for the public and the
$28 million cost is a concern, so a
lot of planning is necessary to fund it
in a responsible way, he said.
“I think it’s on the horizon, for
sure,” he said.
In from Portland, Sarah Singer
Wilson of SSW Consulting was in
the building to meet locals and dis-
cuss the project, which she described
as “asking people what Hermiston
wants to be when it grows up.”
In the church, the list of goals
were broken down into categories:
“Safe and Healthy Hermiston,”
“Sustainable Hermiston,” “Grow-
ing and Prosperous Hermiston” and
“Connected and Engaged Hermis-
ton.” Those categories were posted
throughout a room, with lists of
action items.
Bikers ride through west
Umatilla County for 18th
annual Echo Toy Run
Area bikers bring toys to
hospitalized children
By BRYCE DOLE
Hermiston Herald
The parking lot of Good
Shepherd Medical Center in
Hermiston nearly was silent.
It was an overcast and crisp
Saturday, Dec. 4, and the
hospital spokesperson was
standing alone out front,
hoping people would show
up.
Then Santa Claus came
rumbling in on a motorcycle.
With Mrs. Claus in the
sidecar, he led a parade of
at least 100 motorcyclists as
they thundered from Echo
to Hermiston, revving their
engines loudly for the 18th
INSIDE
annual Echo Toy Run. The
bearded and tattooed bikers
donned leather jackets and
chaps, jeans and bandanas
while carrying stuff ed ani-
mals and toy trucks for hos-
pitalized children.
“Bikers are some of the
most generous people out
there and, given a chance,
respectful,” said Santa,
otherwise known as Phil
Spencer.
The event brings toys
to children who are in the
hospital over the holidays.
What’s leftover is given
out to sick youths through-
out the rest of the year and
to the Hermiston Police
Department for its Christ-
mas Express program.
Norma Sanchez, who
works in the labor delivery
department at Good Shep-
herd, said the hospital hasn’t
been able to give children
toys due to pandemic pro-
tocol. She said she was
thrilled to see the gifts were
packaged so they could be
cleaned and given to local
youths.
“It’s Christmas, they
would love that,” she said.
The ride continues in
memory of Alan Sells, the
event organizer for 15 years
before he died in August
2019 near Plymouth, Wash-
ington, when a car hit him
while he was riding a Har-
ley-Davidson
motorcy-
cle. Now, Sells’ daughter,
Amanda Silvani, runs the
event.
Ben Lonergan/Hermiston Herald
See Bikers, Page A8
Santa Claus, also known as Phil Spencer, leads the Echo Toy Run out of Echo on Saturday, Dec.
4, 2021, en route to Good Shepherd Medical Center in Hermiston.
A2  Hermiston History looks into
the past
A3  Winter Festival a hit
in Umatilla
A4  Homegrown columnist
refl ects on changing community
A6  Festival of Lights enjoyed
in Hermiston